Impact of Idiopathic Scoliosis on the Cardiopulmonary Capacity of Adolescents.

Chest deformities in children with scoliosis may result in cardiopulmonary disorders, lowering cardiopulmonary capacity levels. However, results regarding the dependence of cardiopulmonary capacity on the severity level of scoliosis remain controversial. We aimed to use dynamic cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) to investigate exercise capacity in reference to spinal deformity in patients with mild or moderate idiopathic scoliosis by means of multivariate analyses.

The Effect of the Direction of Primary Lateral Spinal Curvature on Postural Stability in Children with Scoliosis.

The purpose of the present study was to determine the impact of the direction and magnitude of primary lateral spinal curvature in children with scoliosis. Ninety-six children diagnosed with scoliosis were included in the study group, and fifty healthy peers were included in the control group. Posturographic measurements of body weight distribution and posturometric tests with eyes open and closed were performed.

Body Composition in Outpatient Children with Cerebral Palsy: A Case-Control Study.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify quantitative (BMI z-score and BMI percentile) and qualitative (BC) differences between high functioning outpatient children with CP (GMFCS levels I/II) vs TD children, using BIA. We hypothesized that: 1) BMI z-score and BMI percentile will be lower in children with CP compared with their TD peers; and 2) body components (BC) directly associated with muscle mass (including fat free mass (FFM%) and skeletal muscle mass (SMM) and predicted muscle mass (PMM)) in children with CP will be lower than in their TD peers.

Patients And Methods: Ninety children with CP (GMFCS levels I/II) aged 8-16 years were enrolled in this study.

Design and Construct Validity of a Postural Control Test for Pre-Term Infants.

A review of the literature indicated that the greatest prognostic value for predicting motor impairment in high-risk infants is the absence of fidgety movements (FMs) at 3 months of post-term age. The purpose of the present study was to characterize a new posturometric test (PT) based on a center-of-pressure (CoP) movement analysis, in terms of design and construct validity, for the detection of postural control disturbances in pre-term infants. The comparative studies were carried out between pre-term infants who presented normal FMs (18 participants) and infants with absent FMs (19 participants), which consisted of the analysis of the CoP trajectory and CoP area in supine and prone positions using the force platform.

Body Composition and Spasticity in Children with Unilateral Cerebral Palsy-A Case-Control Study.

The aim of this study was to identify the correlations between segmental body composition and the spasticity level of the affected lower limb in children with unilateral cerebral palsy (spastic hemiplegia). Additionally, an attempt was made to identify the differences in composition between the affected and unaffected lower limbs using segmental body composition analysis. This case-control study included 31 children with spastic hemiplegia aged 8 to 16 years with differing severities of spasticity in the lower limbs.

Association between Cardiopulmonary Capacity and Body Mass Composition in Children and Adolescents with High Body Weight: A Cross-Sectional Study.

(1) Background: Excessive body weight is a global problem in the 21st century. Children and adolescents, in particular, are at risk. Recently, there has been an increasing interest in the relationship between aerobic capacity and body composition.

Systematic Review of Literature on Eating Disorders During Pregnancy-Risk and Consequences for Mother and Child.

Eating disorders (ED) are a diagnostic category that includes several nosological units such as anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), or binge eating disorder (BED). This category most often concerns women, while the peak incidence falls on the reproductive age. Therefore the issue of ED during pregnancy is an interesting topic.

Effects of Whole-Body Vibration Training on Lower Limb Blood Flow in Children with Myelomeningocele-A Randomized Trial.

The objective of the present study was to determine the effectiveness of a three-week Whole-Body Vibration (WBV) training on the vascular blood flow of the lower limbs in children with myelomeningocele. The secondary goal was to evaluate the effect of WBV on the ROM of lower limb joints in this population. A total of 30 children with MMC (7-16 years old) were enrolled in the study.

Cardiopulmonary Capacity in Overweight and Obese Children and Adolescents: A Cross-Sectional Study.

One of the objective methods of assessing the level of cardiopulmonary capacity in overweight and obese children and adolescents is cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET). The purpose of present study is an evaluation of aerobic capacity in high body mass index (BMI) children and adolescents by comparing them with a normal weight control group by CPET. The subjects were recruited from participants of the Program of Treatment for Overweight and Obese Children organized by a local pediatric rehabilitation center in Poland.

Effects of Whole-Body Vibration-Assisted Training on Lower Limb Blood Flow in Children With Myelomeningocele.

This study investigated the effectiveness of whole-body vibration (WBV) training incorporated into a conventional physiotherapy (PT) program (WBV-assisted training) in improving blood flow in the lower limbs and range of motion in the lower limb joints of children with myelomeningocele (MMC). A total of 31 children with MMC (7-15 years old) underwent a 6 weeks treatment program consisting of 2 weeks of conventional PT followed by 4 weeks of WBV-assisted training. The assessment comprised two parts: evaluation of lower limb joint range of motion and Doppler ultrasonography of the superficial femoral, popliteal, and anterior tibial arteries and was performed three times for each of the participants (at baseline, after 10 sessions of PT but before WBV-assisted training, and after 20 sessions of WBV-assisted training).

Leg Venous Properties in Children With Myelomeningocele.

The vascular properties of individuals with myelomeningocele (MMC) are an underestimated problem, as evidenced by the lack of relevant research. Therefore, this study was conducted to assess the venous properties of the leg in children with MMC. This study compared the duration of retrograde flow (RF) of the distal and proximal sites of the great saphenous vein (GSV) in children with MMC and typically developing (TD) children.

Nesfatin-1 in the neurochemistry of eating disorders.

The vast majority of new neuropeptides feature unique biochemical properties as well as awide spectrum of physiological activity applied in numerous neuronal pathways, including hypothalamus and the limbic system. Special interest should be paid to nesfatin-1 - the relatively recently discovered and still intensively studied regulatory factor and a potential modulator of eating behaviors. New information about it now allows to consider this neuropeptide as a potentially important factor involved in the pathogenesis of many different mental disorders.

Canonical correlation between body-posture deviations and gait disorders in children with cerebral palsy.

Children with Cerebral Palsy (CP) show the postural constraints while standing, and gait disorders, resulting from both primary and secondary impairments of brain injury. In our previous studies, several characteristic postural and gait patterns in children with unilateral as well as with bilateral CP were defined, and the relationship between these patterns was demonstrated. The purpose of present study was to identify which features of body posture deviation during standing were strongly related to gait deviations in independently ambulatory children with CP.

Clinical picture and treatment of bipolar affective disorder in children and adolescents.

Bipolar disorder (BD) is characterized by pathological changes in mood as well as recurring episodes of mania, hypomania, depression and mixed symptoms. In recent years, the number of BD diagnoses has risen considerably in children and adolescents. Itis believed that anaverage rate of prevalence of bipolar spectrum disorder in the pediatric population is 1.

Differences in oxytocin and vasopressin levels in individuals suffering from the autism spectrum disorders vs general population - a systematic review.

Introduction: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in social interactions, communication, and the presence of stereotyped, repetitive behaviors. Oxytocin (OXT) and arginine-vasopressin are neuropeptides produced in hypothalamus and they are related to processing emotions and social behavior. In the light of a growing number of scientific reports related to this issue, the two neurohormones started to be linked with the basis of neurodevelopmental disorders, including the ASD.

Systematic Review of Literature on Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms Within the Oxytocin and Vasopressin Receptor Genes in the Development of Social Cognition Dysfunctions in Individuals Suffering From Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is found in virtually all population groups regardless of ethnic or socioeconomic backgrounds. Among others, dominant symptoms of autism persistent throughout its course of development include, inter alia, qualitative disorders of social communication and social interactions. Numerous studies have been performed on animal models as well as groups of healthy individuals to assess the potential role of oxytocinergic and vasopresynergic systems in normal social functioning.

Validation of the Polish Version of the Washington 4-Digit Diagnostic Code for the Assessment of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders.

Objectives: The aim of this paper is a quantitative assessment of FASD facial phenotype in the Polish population using the Polish version of the 4-Digit Diagnostic Code.

Methods: The study covered 2 groups of children: 30 children aged 4-7 and 30 children aged 8-11 with a facial phenotype characteristic for the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). The control group consisted of 60 children (4-11 years old) developing normally.

Influence of etanercept on leptin and ghrelin secretion in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

Objective To assess possible changes in leptin and ghrelin secretion due to etanercept in juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). Methods 50 patients with JIA and 16 age-matched controls were enrolled into this prospective, cross-sectional study. Serum leptin, total and acyl ghrelin were measured in addition to white blood cell (WBC) and lymphocyte counts.

The assessment of orthorexia nervosa among 1899 Polish adolescents using the ORTO-15 questionnaire.

Objective: Orthorexia nervosa (ON) is considered an eating disorder (ED), with an excessive fixation on the consumption of healthy food and an obsession with its biological purity. Since the adolescent period poses a risk for EDs, the aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of ON in a population of Polish urban adolescents and some possible contributory factors.

Method: 1899 high school students, 992 girls and 907 boys aged 15-21 years were studied.

Leptin concentration in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

Introduction: Leptin regulates the organism's immune response. Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is a chronic joint disease in children, leading to chronic changes in motor organs.

Material And Methods: In children with JIA (n = 42) and healthy subjects (n = 28), leptin concentration (LEP), body mass index (BMI), haematocrit (HTC), haemoglobin (HB), morphotic elements (WBC,LYMPH), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and ANA Hep-2 antibodies were analysed.

[Validation of ORTO-15 Questionnaire in the group of urban youth aged 15-21].

Aim: The aim of the study was the validation and adaptation of the ORTO-15 Questionnaire in the group of the Polish schoolgirls and schoolboys.

Methods: The study included 399 participants (15-21 years old), all of them high school students in the city of Sosnowiec. The ORTO-15 is a tool created in Italy by L.

Circulating keratan sulfate as a marker of metabolic changes of cartilage proteoglycan in juvenile idiopathic arthritis; influence of growth factors as well as proteolytic and prooxidative agents on aggrecan alterations.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the plasma keratan sulfate (KS) level as a potential marker of joint damage in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). The influence of growth factors as well as proteolytic and prooxidative agents on aggrecan alterations were evaluated in this study.

Methods: Plasma levels of KS, transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1), platelet-derived growth factor BB (PDGF-BB), a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs 4 and 5 (ADAMTS-4 and ADAMTS-5), and thiol groups (TG) were quantified in samples obtained from 30 healthy subjects and 30 patients with JIA before and after treatment.